The first time I met Mack Rhoades, he mused about whether the Akron Zips could become the Gonzaga of the Midwest. A small school that consistently builds a winning basketball team, that reaches the NCAA Tournament and wins some games in that tournament.
Well, now Akron gets to prove it – against the potential role model. The Selection Committee gave the Zips a 13 seed and they will travel to Portland to face Gonzaga.
This is a tough, tough game, for several reasons. Gonzaga has been to the NCAAs 11 years in a row. The Bulldogs have been ranked as fourth, and are ranked 10th. They dominated St. Mary's in the WCC Tournament Title game to earn their bid. Gonzaga also will be playing in much more familiar territory than Akron (One player told a teammate after the announcement: "I get to go to the West Coast."). The Bulldogs have lost once since Jan. 7.
But … 13 seeds are known for their upsets, and if Akron defends the way it did against Buffalo … well … anything is possible.
This was the first time I'd been to one of these selection parties. I must admit that on TV it seems like the most staged thing I've seen this side of announcing the Grammy winner right after the guy performs. Guys sit there, their team is called, they yell. Only thing missing is the guy holding up the sign that reads: "Stand and scream now!"
Akron's scene at the Ohio Brewing Company — I recommed the amber — was kind of humorous, because every time a three, four or five seed was announced, the players would hoot and holler as if they wanted to play that team. Happened with Purdue, Washington, Florida State, Villanova and Illinois before finally the Zips were shown as Gonzaga's opponent.
The place went bonkers. Players stood on chairs and cheered, and everyone screamed. Can't speak for other schools, but Akron's scene was anything but scripted. It was actually kind of fun.
Bottom line about where Akron plays and who they play: Who cares? They're in.
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Tough trip for the Zips. Not only are the Zags an elite team nationally, but the Zags are going to have their entire fan base easily able to make the road trip to Portland, while the Zips will be lucky if even their parents are able to afford a round-trip flight to The Rose City.